Chairman Arthur Stark and Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Malcolm Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations have condemned "in the strongest terms" the rocket fire from Gaza against the civilian populations in the south of Israel. A conference statement issued on Wednesday said, "It is absolutely unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of people live under constant threat of terrorist attack using rockets, mortars, and incendiary balloons, as well as cross-border assaults. The Palestinian terrorist groups perpetrating these attacks from Gaza seek to kill indiscriminately and bring normal life and commerce to a standstill."
The statement added, "These acts are not protests against an 'occupation', as there is no Israeli presence in Gaza, but attempts to divert attention from the corrupt Hamas regime, as they have acknowledged. Israel must do whatever it deems appropriate to safeguard its citizens and borders. The international community must not only denounce such attacks in unambiguous terms, but they also must help prevent the weapons flow and financial support that enables these attacks to continue."